Early Extension in Golf (What It Is and How to Fix It)

There are many issues we all face in our golf game and early extension is one that directly affects consistency and distance. If you’ve heard a pro or a golf partner mention that you’re extending early in your swing, we’ve got all the information you need to fix it. Early extension is often misunderstood but we’ll break it down in simple terms for you.

What is early extension in golf?

Early extension occurs when a golfer stands up too early during the downswing. When you set up to hit a golf ball, your posture and spine angle should remain in place for the majority of the swing, at least until you get the club back to the impact position.

If you struggle with early extension, you’ll lose your spine angle and stand up in the downswing.

Causes of early extension

You could be extending too early in your downswing for a few reasons.

Lack of body rotation

If your hips and upper body never turn back as you initiate your swing, you’ll be left trying to generate power on the downswing with very little to work with.

This lack of rotation and torque in the swing can cause you to throw your hips at the ball, extend and stand up to square the clubface and generate power. You may time this movement perfectly at times but it’s not a reliable or consistent way to hit good golf shots.

Limited flexibility

Limited or restricted flexibility may keep you from rotating your upper and lower body properly in your backswing. You may compensate and extend early if you don’t have the flexibility to rotate.

Improper weight transfer

Weight shift can also contribute to early extension issues. If you move your weight towards your toes as you rotate your upper body in your backswing, you will have moved too close to the ball and have to stand up through impact.

On the downswing, you will feel you don’t have enough room to hit a solid shot and you will extend early to save it.

How to fix early extension

Now that you’ve got some basic ideas about what causes early extension, let’s get to the fixes. Early extension is fixed by maintaining the spine angle on your downswing. If you feel your head starting to lift while your hips spin out, you are extending early.

The problem with fixing early extension in the downswing is that it’s difficult to feel. You can work on turning better as part of the backswing but it’s best to create some awareness through feel as to what the proper motion should be.

Head-on-the-wall drill

The head-on-the-wall drill to fix the early extension may look a little funny but it works.

Stand as if you were going to hit a golf ball. Rest your forehead on a wall. (You don’t need a club for this drill.) Take some swings and ensure your head does not come off the wall. For golfers who tend to extend early, the mistake would be lifting your head off the wall as part of the downswing.

This head-on-the-wall drill should also make you more aware of your body rotation. If you have a real problem with early extension, you’ll feel your tendency to lift your head as you get closer to the ball. Once you have tried the drill several times, step away from the wall and try to hit a few more imaginary shots with this same motion.

Split-grip drill

You may have seen the split-grip drill used to fix issues with wrists and hands in the swing. However, it also works with early extension. Set up with your hands separated from each other on the club. Your trail hand should be a few inches lower than your lead hand.

Hover the club above the golf ball before you take it back. Take a half-swing and try to make contact with the ball. You won’t be able to extend early and make contact with the ball. The trail hand being lower on the club almost forces you to pull your spine into position through impact.

Also, focus on body rotation while you do this drill. The rotation will help you make clean contact with the ball and pull down and through rather than standing up.

How fixing early extension will improve your golf game

It takes a little time to train your body to fix early extension. If you invest the time, you can expect the following results.

• Improved consistency—Less standing up as you get closer to the ball should result in a more consistent strike in the center of the clubface.
• Control over your golf shots—To gain control of your ball flight, you’ll need to maintain your posture through impact.
• Increased distance—Fixing early extension typically results in better body rotation (which increases power) and you’ll also get rid of those high, weak shots you hit when the clubface opens through impact. Players who don’t extend early also do a better job of utilizing ground forces in their swing.
• Better tempo—Standing up as you reach the ball is not a consistent movement and it can cause tempo-related issues. Fixing early extension will make it easier for you to take a more natural swing with better tempo.

Final thoughts

One of the easiest mental-game thoughts for fixing early extension is to feel like you rest your chin on a shelf as you take the club back and as you hit the ball. Practice our favorite drills for fixing early extension both on and off the course until you know you can maintain your posture through impact.